Support Programme for Women Value Chain Enablers
Call for Expression of Interest
SheTrades in The Gambia
The objective of the SheTrades in The Gambia project is to enable Gambian women to benefit from economic participation focusing on the horticulture and textiles and garments value chains. Within the framework of the International Trade Centre’s SheTrades initiative, the project is working with key public and private stakeholders to address issues that are holding back Gambian women from fulfilling their economic potential. Specifically, the project convenes public-private platforms to support women’s economic empowerment, works with the business support ecosystem to improve their performance and offering for women entrepreneurs, strengthens the technical and production capacity of women-owned businesses in the horticulture and textile and clothing value chains, and enhances business and market linkages for women entrepreneurs in these value chains. The project is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE) and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with a network of institutional and private sector partners. Funded by Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), ITC and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the project leverages the expertise of three institutions and their networks to promote the economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs.
As part of the implementation of the project, 81 women owned business have been selected who are in the expansion phase of their business in the horticulture and fashion sectors. The companies have benefitted from a range of training programmes, market opportunities and access to finance initiatives.
Support Programmes for Women Value Chain Enablers
The new support programme is open to women-owned and women-led businesses that act as value chain enablers in the horticulture and/or fashion value chains by contributing to the effective functioning of these value chains and connecting of the supply side (sourcing, inbound logistics) with the demand side (distribution, fulfilment, sales and marketing, customer service and aftersales service) in the priority sectors.
The support programme is targeting the value chain enablers in the following areas:
a. Transport companies of goods (may also include transport companies aiming to move into this area), especially those connecting rural and urban areas;
b. Private operators of horticultural storage units;
c. Aggregators and middle(wo)men;
d. Companies engaged in out-grower schemes;
e. Tech companies and app developers with digital solutions that are relevant for the focus value chains (incl. horticultural production, value chain linkages, marketing & distribution of food, cosmetics and fashion products);
f. Providers of production inputs (e.g. seeds, fertiliser (horticulture), raw materials, fabrics, thread (fashion), packaging materials etc.);
g. Retailers selling horticulture or fashion products;
h. Agricultural finance providers;
i. Other relevant service providers (e.g. extension services, pest control).
The support programme for the value chain enablers, will include:
a. Tailored business coaching and training programmes, including on costing and pricing, business operations, and marketing;
b. Business linkages to suppliers and/or markets including domestic customers and buyers, exporters, and international buyers;
c. Access to dedicated funding mechanisms for SheTrades in The Gambia entrepreneurs;
d. Feature in directory of leading value companies in The Gambia;
To benefit fully from the support package, value chain enablers are expected to commit at least 2 days per month from July 2020 to June 2021 to attending trainings plus additional time to implement learnings, further develop on value chain management and make changes in their businesses.
Selection Process
Among the applicants, up to 20 women-owned businesses will be selected to join this new SheTrades Gambia cohort of value chain enablers.
To be eligible to join the programme, companies need fulfil all of the below criteria:
• Be at least 30% women-owned, managed and controlled;
• Be majority Gambian owned;
• Be registered businesses in The Gambia;
• Be active as a value chain enabler and relevant to at least one of the priority value chains;
To apply to the programme, please submit the following documents by email to the SheTrades Gambia team at SheTradesGambia@intracen.org copying Abdoulie Jammeh, SheTrades in The Gambia Chapter Coordinator at jamabdoulie@gmail.com:
• Motivation letter
• A copy of your business registration certificate
• A summary of your business (1-3 pages) illustrating that your business meets the criteria outlined above;
The deadline for expressions of interest is 28 June 2020.
Value chain enablers selected to the next stage of the on-boarding process, will be invited to an interview at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment in July
Terms of Reference are available here